30 Jun

Trading Standards warning over cold callers

Island Roads has been made aware by the IW Councilís Trading Standards service that a person purporting to work for the Highways PFI contractor has been cold calling offering to undertake work.

Island Roads does not cold call customers and anyone claiming to be from Island Roads and offering services in this way should be reported to the council’s Trading Standards Service on 01983 823000.

The current issue has come to light after a person falsely claiming to be working for Island Roads approached staff at a property in Cowes on Thursday morning (June 29) offering to repair a large access driveway. The man said he had spare resurfacing material from a nearby job which he could use to repair the access. He initially offered to do the work for free then began to talk about charging a fee. He left hurriedly when the property staff declined the offer. After reading of similar tactics by a cold caller in 2015, they contacted Trading Standards.

Island Roads service director Paul Herbert said: “Island Roads do not cold call offering services of this type. All my employees wear ID badges confirming their name and their role within Island Roads.

“We would ask anyone approached in this manner by someone claiming to be from Island Roads to refuse the offer of work and to contact Trading Standards.”